Soft work bunch machine safety device



March 10, 1942. J. P. BURNING 2,275,423

soFT woRK BUNCH MACHINE SAFETY DEVICE Filed Maron 12, 1958 I -I' lNvl-:N'ToR L@ 36 /7 BYJamesP 5 y i \4 TTORNEY Patented Mar. 10, 1942 "UNITED STATES PATENT lOFFICE 2,275,423 SOFT WORK BUNCH MACHINE'SVAFET-Y DEVICE James P. Durning, St. Albans, N. Y., assignor to International Cigar Machinery Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application March 12, 1938, Serial No. 195,528

(Cl. ISI-'21) 14 Claims.

This invention relates to cigar machines and more particularly to safety and bunch protecting devices for soft work cigar machines.

In modern soft work or short iiller cigar bunch making machines, it is customary to provide one or more intermittently moving endless carriers or turrets having spaced mold or shaping pockets into which raw bunches are placed by an operator during a dwell in the movement of the carrier. After traveling from the infeed position to an ejecting position the pockets are opened and the shaped cigar bunches are then automatically transferred to the wrapping device for rolling in a wrapper leaf. Generally the shaft of the carrier is located adjacent to the table plate of the machine s0 that a portion of the carrier is below the table, and there is some danger of the operators hands being caught rin the mold pockets or between the turret surface and associated mechanism. t

It is also necessary if bunches are to be proper'- ly shaped and waste is to be kept at a minimum, that4 each bunch be inserted into a pocket of the turret in such a manner thatit does not project from the pocket and become damaged either by the edge of the table as the` bunches are moved thereby or by the pressing member entering the pockets to seat the bunches therein.

It is the main object of the invention,'there fore, to provide a safety device for soft work bunch machines which will detect the presence of improperly positioned cigar bunches and stop the machine in order that the position of these bunches may be corrected, and also to protect the operators hands from injury while serving the machine.

y It is an additional object of the invention to provide a spring tensioned trip plate located in close proximity to the periphery of they bunch carrier and arrange the plate in such a manner that it extends axially along the pocketed face thereof, so that whenever an operators hands come too close to the` periphery of the moving carrier or a pocket thereof and are subjected to possible danger, orwhenever a bunch projects from any one of the shaping pockets, the plate will be moved and operate vsuitable mechanism to stop the machine.

It is a further object of the machine to provide a soft work bunch machine safety device having a manually depressible or article actuated trip device cooperatngwith an electric control mechanism for stopping the machine whenever the trip` device is depressed beyond set limits. l

With these and other objects not specically mentioned in view, the invention consists in certain combinations and constructionswhich will be hereinafter fully described, and then specilically set forthin the claims hereunto appended.

'In the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification and in which like characters of reference indicate the same or like parts: Y

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation on line I-,I of Fig.v 2, showing the-new bunch protecting and safety'device applied to the turret of a cigar machine;

Fig. 2 is a top view from line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring -to-Figs. 1 and 2, T represents the turret of a soft work cigar machine of the type shown and described in copending application No. 183,405, filed January 5, 1938, by I-I. H. Wheeler. Turret T is driven by an electric motor 28 through a` belt 8- anda ,clutch 29, controlled through an operating rod 13, an expanding device10and an expansion ring 69, by the verated indexing'V device, contained within the gear box I, drives the turret intermittently. Suitable mechanism to effect this intermittent drive is illustrated and described in detail in said copending application, Serial No. 183,405. The motor 28 is operated through wires |88 from a starting switch 30 connected to the power line by a plug cord 18,2.`

In order to stop the machine as above described, atrip device is preferably arranged to cooperate with an electric control system. A snap switch l0 ofthe Vtype commercially known as a micro-switch, is included in the circuit of solenoid 15, Normally, switch l0 is maintained closed permitting current `to flow through it to the solenoid and the intermittent movement of the carrier or turret T continues. Switch I0 (Fig. 1) is connected at one end by wire 200 to the coil of solenoid 15 and at its other end by wire |89 to switch'box 30, the electric circuit is completed by wire 200 which also connects the other end of the coil of solenoid 15 to switch box 30. In order to break the circuit when either or both the above mentioned contingencies occurs, the lever I l is so mounted that when it is tripped by contact of an operators hands or by an improperly placed bunch, it willimmediately open switch I0 thereby breaking the circuit through solenoid 15, and thus stop the movement of carrier T which is driven by a. sprocket chain drive I2 engaging with a suitable sprocket on the carrier shaft. Indexing mechanism similar to that shown in the above mentioned application filed by H. H. Wheeler may be used for intermittently rotating the turret shaft.

The normal pocket serving zone of the turret T is between the 12 oclock and the 3 oclock positions (see Fig. 1). Arranged adjacent the turret and cooperating therewith are presser plungers P and Q which press and locate the bunches in the mold pockets. Knives K are positioned at the end of the turret for trimming the ends of bunches in the molds during the indexing of the turret. The presser mechanism and the knives may be similar in construction and operation to those shown in Letters Patent No. 2,157,537 for Cigar bunch shaping machine, granted May 9, 1939, to H. H. Wheeler.

Due to the presence of the presser P at approximately the 3 oclock position or end of loading zone, it is possible for an operator to injure her hands if they are not removed before the turret is indexed or the presser P moved into a swing the member up for cleaning the turret and y plunger mechanism located beneath the table. It also makes it possible to more easily adjust the trip mechanism and control the set limits of movements of lever II and plate I8. The member I4 is provided with bearings I 6 which carry a fixed shaft I1 on which turns a plate I8 attached to arm I9 loosely mounted on said shaft. The free end of plate I8 is in close proximity to the periphery of turret T and is held level with the top surface of member I4 by suitable springs 20 anchored in collars 2| affixed to shaft I1 and pressing side projections of arms I 9, provided for this purpose, upwards against the member I4. One of the arms I9 is provided with a web 22 against which rests the lever II which is pivoted on a stud 23 fast in a lug 24 extending from casing 25 of switch IU.

The switch I 0 has a circuit breaking button actuated by a pusher 26 sliding in a sleeve 2'I extending from said button, into which is oatingly inserted a sti spring 3I. The lower end of lever II carries a screw 32 registering with pusher 26. In setting the limits of the lever, this screw is so adjusted that in the closed position of switch IIJ, with the opener button positioned to engage with the switch blade, the upper end of lever II just contacts the web 22. Any movement of feeler plate I8 caused by a projecting bunch B passing thereby, or by a hand of the operator, will cause the switch Il) to open and immediately stop the turret T. l

In its open position, the switch blade I0 rests against a stop 33, and any excess motion of lever Il is absorbed by spring 3|. hands have been removed from trip plate I8 or after member I4 has been swung on its hinges I3 back to normal position following the adjustlment and rearrangement of a bunch 'in the turret, the machine is again set in operation by rc- After an operators Gil closing switch I0 through spring-tensioned reset button 34 provided in the cover of casing 25.

The invention above described may be varied in construction within the scope of the claims for the particular device, selected to illustrate the invention, is but one of many possible concrete embodiments of the same. The invention is not, therefore, to be restricted to the precise details of the structure shown and described.

What is claimed is:

l. In a cigar machine, the combination with a carrier provided with a plurality of bunch shaping pockets, of means located adjacent said pockets for discontinuing the driving force for said carrier whenever a bunch is improperly positioned in a pocket, said means including a device adapted to be engaged and depressed by physical pressure thereon by the operator when her hand is extended toward the carrier and is endangered by movement of the latter, and connections whereby said physical depression of said device operates said first-named means for discontinuing the driving force of said carrier.

2. In a cigar machine, the combination with a turret provided with a plurality of bunch pockets, of a safety device located adjacent said pockets, and means operable by said device for discontinuing the driving force for said turret to prevent injury to an operator, said device being operable by depression of an operators hand, and being also operableA automatically by a bunch improperly positioned, so that damage to bunches improperly positioned in said pockets is prevented.

3. In a cigar machine, the combination with an intermittently rotating turret provided with a plurality of spaced bunch shaping pockets, of a safety device for interrupting the movement of said turret, said device comprising a pivoted plate located adjacent the periphery of said turret, and substantially the width of said turret; and means controlled by the movement of said plate for discontinuing the driving force applied to the turret, said pivoted plate having a free edge presented in position for engagement by a bunch protruding abnormally from one of said pockets, and thereby to ybe moved without manual intervention to trip said means for discontinuing the driving force for said turret, and means to bias said plate to a position in which it is maintained normally subject to depression by physical engagement therewith of a hand of the operator, whereby said discontinuance can be effected manually at will.

4. In a cigar machine, the combination with a turret having a plurality of bunch shaping pockets, of means to operate upon said bunches serially at positions to which they are fed by said turret, and a hand rest for the operator disposed between the point at which each bunch is inserted in its pocket and the point at which it is operated upon, said rest comprising a manually depressible trip plate structure located adjacent and extending along the face of said turret, said plate having a free edge constructed and arranged to sense the presence of a bunch protruding unduly from its pocket as it approaches said region fortreatment, andadapted to be depressed by the engagement of said bunch, means for intermittently rotating said turret, including an electric circuit, a normally closed switch in said circuit, and a lever engaging said switch, and engageable with apart of said trip plate structure, being so arranged that when said plate is moved beyond set limits the presence of an obstruction to the normal rotation of said turret causes the lever to open said switch and discontinue the driving force for said turret.

5. In a cigar machine, the combination with a turret having a plurality of bunch shaping pockets and means coacting with said pockets for operating upon bunches in said pockets, of a movable trip located adjacent the pocketed face of said turret, a device for intermittently rotating said turret, and control mechanism cooperating with said trip and device for discontinuing the driving force for said turret whenever said trip is depressed by physical pressure exerted thereon by one of the operators hands when too close to said pockets and to said means.

6. In a cigar machine, the combination with a pocketed bunch carrier, of a pivoted trip located in a substantially horizontal plane closely adjacent said carrier, means for driving said machine, control mechanism cooperating with said trip including means for discontinuing the driving force for said carrier whenever said trip is depressed, means operable manually to rehabilitate said driving force to restore rotation of said turret, and connections whereby said last-named means, when so operated manually, acts to reset said control mechanism in position to cooperate with said pivoted trip.

7. In a cigar machine, the combination with a pocketed bunch carrier, of a pivoted trip located in a substantially horizontal plane closely adjacent said carrier, means for driving said machine, control mechanism cooperating with said trip for discontinuing the driving force for said carrier Whenever said trip is depressed, and means for reinstating the operation of the carrier.

8. In a cigar machine, a movable member provided with a plurality of spaced bunchv shaping pockets, driving means for said member, an electric circuit controlling said driving means, a switch in said circuit normally maintaining said machine in operation, mechanism for stopping said driving means whenever an obstruction is present in the path of said member, said mechanism comprising a lever provided with a switch controlling element, a trip plate extending along said member and located adjacent thereto, said plate being so arranged that depression thereof will cause it to eiect the opening of said switch to break'said circuit, means to reset said plate to a normal elevation for further use, and a manually operable device disposed near said plate for resetting said switch in normal position to be acted upon by said switch controlling lever.

9. In a cigar machine, the combination with an intermittently moving turret provided with a plurality of cigar bunch shaping pockets, of a pivoted trip plate located adjacent said turret, an electric circuit adapted to control the operation of said machine, a switch in said circuit, a lever cooperating with said plate and said switch and so arranged that whenever an obstruction to the movement of the turret causes depression of said plate said switch opens said circuit thereby discontinuing the driving force for said turret, and means for resetting said switch to restart the operation of said machine.

10. In a cigar machine, a movable member provided with spaced bunch pockets, driving means for said member, an electric circuit controlling said driving means, a switch in said cir-- cuit normally maintaining said machine in operation, and mechanism for operating said switch and thereby discontinuing the driving force for said driving means whenever a bunch is improperly positioned in a pocket of said member.

11. In a cigar machine, the combination with a turret having a plurality of bunch shaping pockets and bunch manipulating means associated therewith, of a shaft supporting said turret for intermittent movement, a table supporting said shaft, a member hinged to said table and extending adjacent said turret to shield said means and a portion of said turret from an operator, said member being arranged to be swung about its hinge into a position to expose said means and position of said turret and allow improperly positioned bunches to be re-located in said pockets, and a trip plate pivoted to said table and operable both automatically and manually to protect the work at times and the operator at times, said plate being mounted to swing to and fro with said hinged member.

12. In a cigar machine, the combination with a turret having a plurality of bunch shaping pockets and bunch forming means associated therewith, of a shaft supporting said turret for intermittent movement, a table supporting said shaft, a member hinged to said table and extending adjacent said turret to shield said means and a portion of said turret from an operator, and a trip mounted on said member adjacent said pockets and located to engage a bunch improperly positioned in said pockets for discontinuing the operation of said turret whenever said trip is depressed by said bunch.

13. In a stop mechanism for a cigar machine, a pivoted trip plate structure located adjacent a bunch shaping device, a lever located beneath and engaging a part of said plate structure, and driving control means engageable by said lever upon depression of said pivoted plate to discontinue the operation of the device.

14. In a cigar machine having a movable member provided 'with spaced bunch pockets and driving means for said member; a control mechanism comprising, an electric circuit controlling said driving means, a switch in said circuit normally maintaining said machine in operation, mechanism for operating said switch and thereby discontinuing the driving force for said driving means Whenever a bunch is improperly positioned in a pocket of said member, said switchoperating mechanism including a pivoted plate,

means for yieldingly mounting said plate, andy connections from said plate acting to operate said switch to break said circuit whenever said plate is depressed.

. JAMES P. BURNING. 

